Why doesn't the US use the metric system?

Actually we do. Nearly all engineering work is done in metric then converted if needs be. When I graduated from college I worked as a RF Performance Engineer for AT&T. All of our work from calculating tower rad center to coverage arcs and distances were all done in metric. Most STEM field applications are designed using metric measurements. In my current job we do not which makes it an oddity.  

Why it isn't generally used is a mystery to me. Maybe no one wants a "Royale" with cheese

 

2 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

 Maybe no one wants a "Royale" with cheese

Speaking of cheese... the proper way to break a Parmesan, As the maestro says in his accented English, this cheese will be broken!

 

(I was all yeah, uh huh and why? until I saw what happened once he was done instructing the cheese in its fate)

 

3 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Interesting short read: 8 Facts About the Animals of Chernobyl

I want a Chernobyl puppy now

2 hours ago, Azdeus said:

I want a Chernobyl puppy now

Me too!

2 hours ago, Azdeus said:

I want a Chernobyl puppy now

New plan, once I buy a house in the mountains, I need to find a badger whisperer. Then I will journey to Chernobyl with said badger whisperer to befriend a male and a female radiated super badger. I'll bring them back home (I'll have to grease a lot of palms) and have them mate. I'll have my own squadron of super badgers to protect the property. 

Not the worst plan I've ever heard

Better than Naginatas for sure!

is no reason to go to chernobyl to get what you need, but am gonna assure you, it ain't what you want. 

american badgers is ferocious with more than one nature movie or hunter anecdote revealing how the badger drove off a bear or some other large predator. bear slinks away with an injured snoot, overwhelmed by the snarling fury o' what is essential an oversized weasel.

american badgers is already super badgers, but you will never befriend one. 

HA! Good Fun!

4 hours ago, Azdeus said:

Better than Naginatas for sure!

I mean, I will also have a naginata, a pistol, a hunting rifle, and a shotgun.

So, if you are looking to invade my house, first you have to get past 6.5mm Creedmoor shells, them 10mm auto, then super badgers, then 12 gauge buckshot, then a naginata. If you are still alive at this point then you have earned everything in my house.

5 hours ago, Keyrock said:

I mean, I will also have a naginata, a pistol, a hunting rifle, and a shotgun.

So, if you are looking to invade my house, first you have to get past 6.5mm Creedmoor shells, them 10mm auto, then super badgers, then 12 gauge buckshot, then a naginata. If you are still alive at this point then you have earned everything in my house.

Considering the effective range of the 6.5 Creedmoor is 1k meters unless you live in the sticks you likely shot him in the street three blocks away. Self defense would be a hard sell 

of course in my case 1000 meters he was well inside my property. Nary a word would be said!

This Eco-Friendly Mural Cleans Air Pollution as Much as 780 Trees.

Ok someone is going to have to explain why this AR wasn't/isn't standard issue for the U.S. military.

 

As with all things gun-related; Gun Jesus will inform you.

Scammers are getting serious here...

https://www.cp24.com/news/police-warn-businesses-across-ontario-about-explosive-device-scam-1.5079373

Ontario Provincial Police warned that a number of businesses received emails on Tuesday claiming there were explosive devices planted somewhere on the recipients’ property.

The email then goes on to state that a payment would need to made using Bitcoins to the author of the email through a “special account” in order to have the device removed, Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said.

I often watch these history and documentary videos on youtube. Favourites include this guy, as well as Mark Felton, The History Guy etc.

 

Truly weird and random info, the history of ships cats

 

HA! Good Fun!

Meanwhile, in Japan...

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-japan-car-ground-person-aboard.amp

Divorce rates in America soar by 34% during the COVID-19 pandemic with marriages crumbling three weeks into quarantine and newlywed separations doubling to 20 percent

I guess I could see this. I once told my first wife, long ago, that we were like two scorpions in a jar. Fighting the the death but only because we were trapped in the jar. 

1 hour ago, Guard Dog said:

Divorce rates in America soar by 34% during the COVID-19 pandemic with marriages crumbling three weeks into quarantine and newlywed separations doubling to 20 percent

I guess I could see this. I once told my first wife, long ago, that we were like two scorpions in a jar. Fighting the the death but only because we were trapped in the jar. 

Yeah, it amazes me how many married couples I know who spend little time with one another. A lot of them get lost in the kids once they are born and forget to keep the marriage as a priority. This whole situation magnifies everything. 

B5 always gave some good thoughts...

Interesting read about an eminent domain case from a long time ago: The Tiny “Spite Triangle” That Marks a Century-Old Grudge Against New York City

 

The 5th Amendment reads in part:

"No person shall...  nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

The problem is the entity doing the taking gets to determine what "just compensation" actually is. At best it is pennies on the dollar of actual value. Often it is nothing. Sometimes it's nothing and a bill to cover their expenses incurred in robbing you. This actually happened in the Kelo case after the Supreme Court rendered one of it's worst judgements in it's history in Kelo vs New London.

I wish I could go back and time and buy Madison a drink and strongly suggest the takings clause be reworded:  "nor shall private property be taken for public use."

 

While we are at I'd I convince him to remove the prefatory clause in the 2nd Amendment. That would save a lot of trouble. 

1 hour ago, Guard Dog said:

Interesting read about an eminent domain case from a long time ago: The Tiny “Spite Triangle” That Marks a Century-Old Grudge Against New York City

 

The 5th Amendment reads in part:

"No person shall...  nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

The problem is the entity doing the taking gets to determine what "just compensation" actually is. At best it is pennies on the dollar of actual value. Often it is nothing. Sometimes it's nothing and a bill to cover their expenses incurred in robbing you. This actually happened in the Kelo case after the Supreme Court rendered one of it's worst judgements in it's history in Kelo vs New London.

I wish I could go back and time and buy Madison a drink and strongly suggest the takings clause be reworded:  "nor shall private property be taken for public use."

 

While we are at I'd I convince him to remove the prefatory clause in the 2nd Amendment. That would save a lot of trouble. 

underlined is hyperbole. the most common value method in eminent domain situations is fair market value. of course there is horror stories where a property owner gets screwed, and often a property owner has a very different notion o' how fair market should be determined than does the government. "i wouldn't sell for less than $500,000" does not mean the minimum market value o' the property is +$500k. income generating property made worthless by government efforts on adjacent properties also results in holdouts getting screwed by an income approach.

am also disagreeing 'bout second amendment. am thinking the framers, not just madison as there were multiple drafts which were debated and altered and agreed 'pon by the assembled, had valid reasons for adding... and the portion gd finds offensive were added after reflection. the original right to bear arms bit had no mention o' militia, but every subsequent draft did. simple declaring a general right to bear arms were considered and rejected. 

keep in mind that for near 150 years, there weren't all that much confusion and consternation 'bout the second amendment. is genuine a bit curious how the right to bear arms evolved. were original presumed to be unincorporated and only applicable to the Fed government. the municipal and frequent draconian regulations o' firearms and/or ammo were widespread until the 20th century. for most o' US existence, folks took for granted that firearms were subject to state and local level regulation. 

original intent readings o' the second amendment is problematic precise 'cause gd knows enough history to recognize what kinda weapons were appropriate for a militia which were to be our alternative to a national standing military. furthermore, a textualist reading means we cannot ignore the well-regulated militia bit. sadly, gd is afeared those freedom hating activists on the Court will ignore text and history and point out how we have a military so the second amendment may have been rendered m00t. is no reading which gives gd room to breathe safe. 

there isn't a way to read the second amendment to make it a blanket and unqualified right to bear arms, which is appropriate 'cause such were the original draft text and the framers purposeful changed it. 

HA! Good Fun!

IMO, Any property owner that has their property stolen this way by the government has the moral right to kill every government representative who takes part in said action from the top beauacrats to the cop who enforces said theft at the barrel of a gun. They are common robbers and thugs. It is one of the most evil and nazish laws on the books. It is 100% self defense.

Dura lex Volournis, sed lex.

Edited August 31, 20205 yr by Malcador

@Gromnir yes, it was hyperbole. A little bit at least. Based solely on my own reading an observation the application of just compensation depends largely on the governing entity making the claim. If the respondent is dealing with the federal government history indicates they can expect a little bit better treatment than a state or municipal government. And some sates such as Florida have even voted in Constitutional amendments limiting how ED can be used. But the history of such in my state as well as numerous others the property owner will find themselves in for a world class f-----g. Particularly if their means to mount any kind of legal challenge are limited. Like any true bully a government is at it's most savage when taking from the weak. The Tennessean did a great piece on this about 10 years ago. I'm trying to find it to link. It is interesting reading. It covered ED cases for the benefit of the TVA and other actual state projects that disproportionately targeted minorities. Many time going right into condemnation of property and paying little to nothing in compensation. 

Of course stealing land from rightful owners has been honed to a fine art in this country since the ink on the Louisiana Purchase was dry. Hell, even before that.